Lou Reed Recovering After Liver Transplant

Rock music icon Lou Reed is recovering after a liver transplant, it has been revealed.

And the 71-year-old former singer and songwriter with The Velvet Underground was close to death before the operation, his wife told The Times.Laurie Anderson said: "It's as serious as it gets. He was dying. You don't get it for fun.

"I don't think he'll ever totally recover from this, but he'll certainly be back to doing [things] in a few months. He's already working and doing t'ai chi. I'm very happy. It's a new life for him."

And Anderson said she had been inspired by the logistics and science involved in the transplant process.

She said: "You send out two planes - one for the donor, one for the recipient - at the same time. You bring the donor in live, you take him off life support. It's a technological feat.